A properly executed putt by a golfer involves a number of alignment subtleties. There are three elements to a putt. Firstly, determinations must be made regarding the speed and direction of the ball following impact by a golf putter. Many greens include slopes that will cause a ball to "break" as it travels from the point of impact to a hole. Consequently, the determinations of speed and direction must involve "reading" the green. The second element is one of positioning the golfer relative to the desired direction of ball travel. The final element involves stroking the golf ball with the putter in a manner that achieves the desired initial direction and the desired initial speed.
While there are various styles of putting among golfers, it is generally accepted that a fundamentally correct execution of a putt requires the golfer's feet to be perpendicular to the desired path of the ball, with the face of the putter being held so that it is parallel to the golfer's feet and, therefore, perpendicular to the desired path of ball travel. Consequently, even if a green is accurately "read," the putt will be missed if the golfer is "aimed" improperly. As an example, for a right-handed golfer on a flat green, if the golfer is mistakenly positioned so that the heel of a properly gripped putter is closer to the golf hole than the toe of the putter, the ball will travel to the right of the golf hole.
It is known to include alignment lines on either or both of the ball and the putter to facilitate putting. U.S. Pat. No. 4,209,172 to Yamamoto teaches a golf ball and a putting club, which each include alignment lines. The ball includes equatorial markings that are at right angles to each other. The putting club includes a first line that is perpendicular to the striking face of the club and second line that is parallel to the striking face. In use, the ball is positioned so that one of the equatorial markings will roll along the target direction. The first line on the club is then aligned with the target equatorial marking, while the second line on the club is positioned parallel to the second equatorial marking on the ball. While the Yamamoto ball-and-club arrangement increases the ability of a golfer to properly aim a putt, it addresses only some of the alignment concerns in the execution of a putt. Moreover, the right angle equatorial markings on the ball may not be considered aesthetically acceptable to many golfers. More subtle markings would be preferred.
An object of the invention is to provide a golf ball and golfing method that aid a user to accurately align a golf ball to an intended path of travel, align a golfer relative to the aligned ball, and align a golf club relative to the aligned golfer and ball.